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To be or not to be, that is the question for a solo version of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Eddie Izzard, the wry, gender-fluid British comedian who came to attention with a stream of observational drollery that picked away at common sense, takes on the whole teeming tragedy. This Shakespearean traveling show, now at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood through Saturday, is a daredevil feat of memory, theatrical bravado and cardio fitness.
As a spectacle, it’s as exhilarating as it is exhausting. The thrill of seeing a fearless, indefatigable performer single-handedly populate the stage with the myriad figures of this masterwork never lets up. But fatigue can’t help setting in once it becomes clear that this marathon drama will be delivered in the broadest of strokes.
The plot’s the thing for Izzard, who brought a solo version of Charles Dickens’ similarly sprawling “Great Expectations” to the stage. Izzard has won praise as a dramatic actor, excelling in plays by David Mamet and Peter Nichols, but here seems content to stick to story-time mode.
The striking aspect of this “Hamlet,” directed by Selina Cadell on a bare stage, is just how straightforward it is. There are few scenic accouterments other than some fabulously eerie lighting, suspenseful sound effects and heavy-handed underscoring. Izzard’s costume, evening wear built for battle, had me imagining Margaret Thatcher at Studio 54 in the early 1980s.
The adaptation by Mark Izzard (Izzard’s brother who also adapted “Great Expectations”) strives to cram in as much of the play as possible, even if it means that for long stretches Izzard must deliver Shakespeare’s lines at breakneck speed. A structurally remodeled “Hamlet” with a minimalist bent would have made more sense. But that would require an interpretive vision that the cuts, rearrangements and distracting instances of rewording fail to supply.
Greeting theatergoers at the start of the performance, Izzard advises that if anyone has come under the mistaken impression that this is a new comedy act, the time to escape is now. No one seemed to heed the charming warning.
Izzard, who has a background as a street performer, feels a kinship with Elizabethan players, who like stand-up comics, maintained a lively rapport with their audience. This “Hamlet” isn’t a dainty affair but a colorful attack meant to reanimate a cracking good tale.
But a plot, no matter how engrossing, can’t shoulder the burden alone. A well-known story needs a fresh point of view. The novelty here is a performer testing physical, mental and logistical limits. But as “Hamlet” revivals go, there’s not much insight to be gained from this Herculean undertaking.
The comedy bits work best. Izzard treats Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s old buddies sent to spy on him, as sock pockets (minus the socks). The banter between Hamlet and the gravedigger allows for the kind of witty wordplay that is Izzard’s stand-up stock-in-trade.
Claudius comes across as a sinister puffed-up phony. Polonius isn’t so much a pompous old fart as a preeminent courtier anxious not to lose his privileged status. Horatio, who can admittedly get lost in the woodwork, barely registers.
But Izzard has a way of making the movers and shakers at Elsinore seem as familiar as workplace colleagues. The ghost, on the other hand, who speaks in a creepy monotone, is like a relic of a long defunct amateur troupe.
Gender is no barrier for Izzard, who uses she/her pronouns and has added the name Suzy (though for this “Hamlet,” the billing is simply Eddie Izzard). Gertrude never quite comes into focus, but the pathos of Ophelia, maddened by grief, is enhanced by the simple yet forceful way Izzard helplessly pounds her chest.
Hamlet, alone on stage, is what most of us remember from our outings with the tragedy. Izzard is so verbally adept that perhaps I expected too much from the soliloquies. The “To be, or not to be” monologue came across as a rhetorical set piece that Hamlet has been polishing for ages. There’s a little too much hand jive in other speeches. The emotional meaning of Shakespeare doesn’t need to be manually conducted.
But it’s not easy to sustain an inner intensity when acting in isolation. Izzard must surge and replenish her performance on her own. The self-generating powers on display are awesome to witness. Even in a bulky knee brace, Izzard goes all out in the final act duel between Hamlet and Laertes.
By this point audiences might be tapping into their own reserves. Izzard deserves a medal for athletic effort, but what I’ll remember most are a few passing moments in which the dramatic poetry was illuminated with an everyday realism that made the more than 400 years separating our world from Shakespeare’s seem like no distance at all.
Sky News presenter Darren McCaffrey announced his final Politics Hub show live on air, confirming he is moving to Toronto, Canada, in a matter of weeks after 15 years at the broadcaster
Sasha Morris Deputy Showbiz & TV Editor and Ayeesha Walsh Showbiz & TV Reporter
19:13, 25 Jan 2026
Sally Lockwood has quit Sky News(Image: )
Sky News presenter Darren McCaffrey confirmed his departure live on air as he revealed plans to relocate to Toronto, Canada. McCaffrey initially joined the broadcaster in 2009, left for GB News in 2018, before returning last year.
Speaking during Saturday morning’s broadcast, he said: “You’re watching the Politics Hub here on Sky News. Now this is my last time presenting the Politics Hub. I know, and what a busy time in politics it has been, from Donald Trump dominating the diplomatic agenda to internal government strife back here in Westminster.
“It certainly has not been quiet. To celebrate, or should I say commiserate, I’m leaving the poll hub production team has essentially put together one of my reports from my first time here at Sky News. And, let’s be honest, it’s frankly very, very embarrassing. Just have a watch.
“And indeed, that’s it for me on Sky News, my last broadcast. I’m moving to Canada, to Toronto, in a few weeks. Thank you for watching. Thanks to everyone here at Sky News. Good evening,” before the programme aired footage from his debut report 15 years ago.
Darren posted the clip on Instagram, writing: “WELL THAT REALLY IS THAT… My FIRST and LAST broadcast on @SkyNews 15 years apart – frankly more than a little embarrassing in so many ways…”
He subsequently shared a snap of himself enjoying leaving drinks at the pub with several Sky News colleagues.
He shared: “Going to miss these guys…” Supporters were quick to send their well-wishes, with one commenting: “Congratulations Darren! ! May the Canadian chapter be fabulous.”
Someone else chimed in: “Top effort. Well done and happy landings,” whilst a third person expressed: “Best of luck with what comes next.”
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Darren announced his departure from Sky News earlier this year via social media, revealing: “Hello all, Happy New Year, hope it’s going well.
“So just a little bit of news, actually quite a big bit of news from me which is that I’m bouncing out of Britain if you like and I’m going to be moving to Canada.”
He elaborated: “To Toronto in Canada and actually pretty soon at the end of this month. And it’s really, really exciting and I’m really looking forward to it but it’s a little bit daunting as well. It’s not a city I know very well and I’m not entirely sure what I am going to do for work.”
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Adam Henson, who works at the 50-acre Cotswold Farm Park, revealed a similarity he shares with former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson, but the Countryfile host’s comments didn’t come without a playful dig
Adam Henson(Image: )
Adam Henson has shed light on what he truly thinks about Jeremy Clarkson after making a playful dig about him involving “Marmite”. A relative newcomer to the farming world, Clarkson has owned Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds since 2008 but only took to the fields himself in 2019, showcasing his exploits on the aptly named Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm.
As a fellow celebrity farmer, Adam, who works at the nearby 50-acre Cotswold Farm Park, is no stranger to public scrutiny, admitting that Countryfile sometimes leaves his fellow farmers feeling “frustrated”.
Alex Dye, host of The FarmED Podcast, recently asked Adam how he thinks the “general farmer” perceives him, and whether he thinks he’s a “Marmite sort of character”, as in, people either love him or hate him.
It prompted him to reveal a similarity that he shares with Clarkson, although his comments weren’t without a playful dig at the former Top Gear host. Adam candidly replied: “Yeah, completely. Probably not as Marmite as Jeremy Clarkson, but I am quite Marmite, I think.”
He continued: “Mainly because, I think…Because I work for Countryfile and have done for 24 years, we are a magazine show that has a whole array of topics, and we’re a countryside show, not a farming show.
“It used to be the farming programme, and farmers watching it get frustrated that we’re not robust enough in some of our communication about farming, the technology, the finances, the struggles, and we’re not championing British farming enough.”
Adam went on to claim that there are other people who celebrate everything he does on the show, suggesting he often divides opinion. He pointed out to those who may be more critical that the show wasn’t created to champion farming.
He claimed that it was instead designed to generate “viewing figures” and noted that “whatever drives” these sought-after numbers for the BBC, they will ultimately “make more” of.
In related news, Adam recently shared his excitement about a new, “critically endangered” addition to his farm park. In December 2025, the much-loved host shared some of his hopes for the new year.
In BBC Countryfile Magazine, Adam wrote: “Our livestock will be thankful for less dramatic conditions, too – one animal in particular. Lexy is my Suffolk Punch mare, and she’s a real favourite with visitors to the Cotswold Farm Park.”
He continued: “We’re very excited because Lexy is pregnant and due to give birth to a foal in May. This is a big deal: the Suffolk Punch, like other British heavy horse breeds, is critically endangered.”
Adam went on to explain that his main concern was ensuring a “trouble-free birth”, while sharing his hope for a “fit and healthy” foal.
You can next catch Adam on Countryfile on BBC One tonight (Sunday, January 25), from 6pm to 7pm.
The Studio is a fun and hilarious series that was released last year, and even though it is full of some of Hollywood’s best and most famous celebrities, it made my toes curl
Abigail Nicholson Content Editor
16:03, 25 Jan 2026Updated 16:05, 25 Jan 2026
Chase Sui Wonders, Ike Barinholtz, Bryan Cranston, Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara in “The Studio,” now streaming on Apple TV.(Image: Apple TV)
After hearing how The Studio took home an astounding 13 Emmys awards, the record for any comedy series in a single season, I knew I had to give it a chance.
Both me and my partner work in journalism, so there are times when we often prefer to watch something light or funny to unwind and forget about how crazy the world can be.
We’re huge fans of Apple TV, and I can honestly say we have never watched an awful series on the platform. The original content is second to none, and whenever I want to start watching something new, I often choose the platform over Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime.
I really like Seth Rogan and the films and shows he has been in, so seeing he was directing, producing and starring in The Studio – I immediately knew it was going to be something I liked.
For those who haven’t heard of The Studio, it sees Seth Rogan’s character, Matt Remick, get appointed as the new head of Continental Studios, a film production company.
Matt is desperate for celebrity approval, but he and his executive team have to juggle corporate demands with creative ambitions as they try to keep film alive and relevant.
The first episode sees the introduction of some very famous faces, including Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn and Bryan Cranston. Bryan by the way pays an absolute blinder in the series, I know why he agreed to play the role, but god is his character a mess in the last episode.
It really shows a different side to him from being a super serious and harsh character in Breaking Bad.
The fast-paced show sees Matt trying to fit mould in the new role he has been given, but falling at almost every hurdle. The show is hilarious, witty, but there was one thing that I found absolutely toe curling.
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I don’t know if it’s me just being a Brit with a stiff upper lip, but I found it so awkward and hard to watch Seth Rogan’s character be so insecure, to the point where it was creating disaster after disaster.
One specific episode springs to mind when I talk about this, and it’s the film production at the mansion featuring Greta Lee as herself. Seeing how Matt Remick’s need for validation just completely took over him left me squirming in my seat saying “no, no no”.
Not to get too deep here, but whether that was so difficult to watch due to my own insecurities is something I’ll maybe have to ask a therapist.
Other than that, I did really enjoy the series, especially as it shines a light on an issue many film companies, directors and actors are currently facing, choosing between commercial films and art.
Just about every industry in the world is dictated by money, meaning people sometimes make choices they don’t want to make. The end of the series made me want to look at what is appearing in the cinema and make time to go, which I guess is the point…. right?
The Studio has been renewed for a second season, with the first being available to stream now on Apple TV
BBC broadcasting legend Sir Mark Tully has died aged 90.
The veteran journalist, who spent 30 years at the Beeb, was hailed as a “towering voice of journalism” by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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BBC’s former Chief of Bureau Sir Mark TullyCredit: GettyHe first started working for the BBC in the 1960sCredit: GettyHe was knighted in 2002 by King Charles III, then-Prince of WalesCredit: PA
Posting a tribute on X, the Indian PM said: “Saddened by the passing of Sir Mark Tully, a towering voice of journalism.
“His connect with India and the people of our nation was reflected in his works.
“His reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse. Condolences to his family, friends and many admirers.”
Sir Mark was born in India in 1935 and later moved to England at the age of nine.
After studying history and theology at Cambridge, he first started working for the BBC in the 1960s.
He returned to India in 1965 to work as an administrative assistant at the broadcaster, before taking on a reporting role.
Sir Mark went on to lead reporting for India and the whole South Asian region.
Some of his famous coverage included included military rule in Pakistan, Tamil Tigers’ rebellion in Sri Lanka and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Almost three decades later, in 1994, Sir Mark resigned from the BBC.
He later became the voice of BBC Radio 4 programme Something Understood, which explored religion and spirituality.
And he went on to slam the broadcaster for the decision to scrap it in 2019, accusing the company of “underestimating the asset”.
Mohit Bakaya, controller at BBC Radio 4 and director of BBC Speech audio, said Sir Mark “embodied the spirit” of the station.
He added: “He was known to the Radio 4 audience for his reflective, spiritually inspired essays on Something Understood.
“His broadcasts were never about certainty or instruction; they were about curiosity, compassion and making space for complexity.
“Sir Mark embodied the spirit of Radio 4 at its best; thoughtful, generous and searching.
“His voice will be greatly missed by colleagues and listeners alike.”
He’s known for raising temperatures on risque period drama Bridgerton and as it returns for a fourth season, Jonathan Bailey lifts the lid on those raunchy sex scenes
The Bridgerton actor spills on his raunchier scenes(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He said: “I know the sex scenes have been a hot topic, but as a cast we get more excited by other scenes which require in-depth emotions.
“I know the sex scenes look glamorous, but on set with cameras, tens of people, intimacy coordinators and everything else – it actually feels a bit silly and it’s incredibly hard not to laugh.”
The 37 year old has had his fair share of on-screen romps – his first just three minutes into Bridgerton’s first ever episode – but he’s keen to make sure there’s always a reason behind the steam. “I’m not a fan of, ‘Lets get our kit off because we have a scene to film,’” he explained. “It’s got to mean something.”
The next season of the show – the first part landing on Netflix January 29 – focuses on Anthony’s younger brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) who falls for maid Sophie (Yerin Ha) after meeting at a masquerade ball in a fairytale storyline resembling Cinderella. “It isn’t a slow start,” Bailey revealed. “I can’t wait for fans to see the first episode – it really starts off with a bang.”
As well as his part in the runaway success of Bridgerton, it’s fair to say Jonathan is having a bit of a moment. Last year he followed in the footsteps of Idris Elba and David Beckham to become People’s Sexiest Man Alive – something he finds “hilarious.” “But at the same time very flattering,” the Oxfordshire born actor added. “I mean who wouldn’t be flattered?”
His win came off the back of his stellar performances in Hollywood blockbusters Jurassic World Rebirth and the Wicked franchise. The second instalment of the latter, ‘Wicked For Good’, may have received mixed reviews and been snubbed in the latest Oscars noms, but it certainly sky-rocketed Bailey to worldwide fame.
“It was a dream role, and an experience I will never forget,” he said of the film. “We all had the best time, and even though it’s over, I am eternally grateful that, in Ariana [Grande] and Cynthia [Erivo], I have made friends for life.”
In his personal life, the fiercely private actor revealed in 2023 he was dating a “lovely man”, but his current relationship status is unknown. Offering an insight into his life away from the cameras, he did say he keeps “grounded” by his six nieces and nephews.
“When I get to do what the world views as ‘normal things’ like read them a story or build Lego with them – I don’t think they have any idea how happy they make me.”
Celebrity Traitors champ says he doesn’t need a new man in his life because Amanda Holden is a perfect ‘partner’ – except for one crucial thing
Alan describes Amanda as his ‘partner’(Image: PA)
Since his resounding triumph in the first series of Celebrity Traitors, Alan Carr has found himself somewhere close to the top of the showbiz A-list. He revealed that the “big streamers” have been in touch with offers of work, and he’s also becoming increasingly popular on social media, with close to two million followers.
But that doesn’t mean he’s turning his back on old friends. Alan remains very close to showbiz pal Amanda Holden. Discussing his plans for a 50th birthday party, he says he’s planning three events: one for family and friends, a second for industry contacts, and a final massive one for everybody else. “And I just know Amanda Holden is going to come to all three,” he told The Times.
While Alan’s single at present, he describes Amanda as his other half: “I don’t need a partner. She is my partner,” he says, before adding: “The sex is awful.”
Amanda was determined to find Alan a man, though, and helped him sign up to a dating app: “Amanda is an ally of the LGBTQI but even she was shocked because I think she thinks gay dating is like straight dating. She said, ‘Alan, they were asking for the length of your penis!’ She’s very worldly and very fun, Amanda. But in the world of gay dating she is a novice.”
Other potential guests at Alan’s “friends and family” party will almost certainly include Paloma Faith, who now appears to have forgiven him for having “murdered” her by stroking her face in a shocking Celebrity Traitors twist.
Alan says they’ve since reconciled, revealing on the Graham Norton Show: “I’ve seen her – it was very harsh and so grim killing her, but we are friends again now.”
Another close pal is platinum-selling artist Adele, who stayed in Alan’s spare room after an emotional break-up. Alan revealed that she “hibernated” in the room for so long that he thought she might have died: “Although she had purged her feelings in 21 she was still cut up about her ex and completely inconsolable.”
Writing in his book, Alanatomy, Alan recalled that he started to get a little worried after he and then-partner Paul Drayton hadn’t seen her for a few days. When Paul suggested knocking on the spare room door to check if she was OK, Alan replied: “‘I daren’t. What if she’s dead? We looked at each other. Just out of interest, if the world’s biggest star dies in your house, does the price go up or down? I’m asking for a friend. Would we get a plaque? Could we turn it into a museum? Would we have busloads of Adele fans tying wreaths to our knocker?’”
Adele did eventually emerge, and went on to officiate at Alan and Paul’s wedding, staging the event at her Los Angeles home in January 2018.
Alan and Paul announced their separation in January 2022 after 13 years together and three years of marriage. They described the split as a “joint and amicable” decision, although reports at the time suggested that Paul’s struggles with alcohol were “the final straw.”
Which goes some way to explaining why Amanda is now trying to push her close friend – and newly-minted A-lister – back into the dating pool.
Scream 7 is due to be released on February 27 and has been written by Kevin Williamson, who penned the script for the original 1996 film and the hit 1997 sequel, Scream 2
American rock climber, Alex Honnold, climbed Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan without ropes or a safety net during a jaw-dropping Netflix’s Skyscraper Live special
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who likes developing long-term relationships with TV shows.
For many, that show is ABC’s popular police procedural “The Rookie,” which returned for its eighth season earlier this month and brought some international intrigue to its routine, high-stakes Los Angeles police work. Eric Winter, who stars as Tim Bradford, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss his character’s career and personal growth.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our viewing recommendations are two shows that feature some cool and determined women: One centers on an expert interrogator, the other on a group of menopausal women in Northern England who form a punk band. Don’t they sound like the perfect companions for a chill weekend?
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“Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” lead the field of 2026 Oscar nominees with 16 and 13 nominations each, respectively.
(Photo illustration by Avery Fox / Los Angeles Times; Photos from A24; Focus Features; Getty; Netflix; Victor Juca; Warner Bros. Pictures)
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
Kyra Sedgwick in an episode of “The Closer.”
(DANNY FELD/WB/ TNT)
“The Closer” (Netflix)
Kyra Sedgwick stars as LAPD deputy chief Brenda Leigh Johnson in this immensely satisfying procedural-plus, which originally ran on TNT from 2005 to 2012 — ah, the great age of basic cable — and has recently arrived in its seven-season, 109-episode entirety on Netflix. Brenda, a sugarcoated, CIA-trained Southerner with a sweet tooth, has a “history”with nattily attired boss Will Pope (J.K. Simmons), and a talent for interrogation rivaled only by Andre Braugher‘s Frank Pembleton on “Homicide: Life on the Street” — though she’s more likely to catch flies with honey before she drops them in vinegar. (“Thank you, thank you so much” is her catch phrase). Like Helen Mirren‘s DCI Jane Tennison on “Prime Suspect,” an oblique influence, she has to face down the skepticism of the mostly male crew she’s been imported to run, and run them she will. (“Candice Renoir” fans will recognize that show as something of a “Closer” remake.) The cases are more focused on human behavior than clever methods of murder, and though dark and often sad in that regard, the show is also quite funny and lit in the the sunshine of the city, which it shows off to great effect. As FBI special agent Fritz Howard, Jon Tenney brings romantic heat and ironic commentary. — Robert Lloyd
Yvonne Vaux (Amelia Bullmore), from left, Kitty Eckersley (Rosalie Craig) and Holly Gaskell (Tamsin Greig) in “Riot Women.”
Sally Wainwright (“Happy Valley,” “Last Tango in Halifax”) is one of the best writers working in television today and her “Riot Women” is further, and completely delightful, proof. Five women staring down various midlife crises, including, but not limited to, menopause, decide to form a rock band, a move normally reserved for their male counterparts. It begins as a lark — Jess (Lorraine Ashbourne) wants to put together an act for a fundraiser at her grandkids’ school — and quickly becomes a lifeline, particularly for Beth (Joanna Scanlan), a divorced teacher who feels she has become so invisible that there’s no point in living anymore. Jess also wrangles in Holly (Tamsin Greig), who, having just retired from the police force, isn’t sure what to do next, and Holly’s sister Yvonne (Amelia Bullmore), a disenchanted midwife. But it’s Beth who pushes the group to take the band seriously, and make it punk; when she finds the very troubled and equally talented Kitty (Rosalie Craig) singing in a bar, the mission is clear. “Riot Women” is not going to be just a fundraising cover band; it’s going to become a voice and source of power for women conditioned to believe that their value comes from what they can give others and that, after a certain age, that value radically diminishes. The cast is perfection and Wainwright’s sharp writing is, as always, hilarious, clear-eyed and heartbreaking. “Riot Women” is aspirational, inspirational and absolutely fabulous. — Mary McNamara
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Eric Winter as Tim Bradford in “The Rookie.”
(Mike Taing/Disney)
As it settles into its eighth season — after a long hiatus — “The Rookie” (airing Tuesdays on ABC, next-day streaming on Hulu) isn’t skimping on the set of challenges it’s throwing at the team within the fictional Mid-Wilshire Division of the LAPD. But that hasn’t curtailed the career and personal achievements for Tim Bradford (played by Eric Winter). The formerly rigid, no-nonsense, out-in-the-trenches officer has transitioned into a watch commander trying to find work-life balance now that his relationship with colleague Lucy Chen is back on and they are living together. Winter stopped by Screen Gab to talk about how his character has evolved as a leader, what he’s watching and more. — Yvonne Villarreal
This season, Tim takes over for Grey as watch commander. At this stage in playing the character, what’s been your favorite part of watching him take on something new and settle into that role? Is there an ambition you have as an actor, or have for Tim as a character, that you still want to achieve?
It’s always fun for me to see Tim uncomfortable, which has happened a lot. He knows how to lead but this is a different scope and also dealing with a bit more of the politics in this position. He loves being in the action and impacting the streets so it’ll be fun to explore how he can still do that while also managing a desk job. As an actor, there is still so much I would love to accomplish in this industry. I am always wanting to get out of my comfort zone and explore different characters and it is the same for Tim. I love learning more about his past and finding ways for him to grow as a character which keeps the job fun after so many years.
A slow-burn romance is a favorite TV trope for many viewers. Tim and Lucy are back together this season and living together. We often hear from writers about whether fan reaction informs their writing. But as a performer, what’s it like on the other side — the fan anticipation, the intensity of that and figuring out when to lean into it? And what intrigues you about where Tim and Lucy are headed for the rest of the season?
It’s great to have so much incredible support for characters but definitely as an actor, there is a balance of when to lean in. This ship has taken on a mind of its own worldwide and with that, a lot of people can’t separate the characters from our personal reality, which comes with the territory though. The fans are anchors to the show’s success, and we always appreciate their commitment to our storytelling. This relationship was completely fan-driven and once the writers jumped in on it, they just elevated the storytelling to make it what it is today. It’s always interesting to see what they have in store next, to give the fans what they want while also keeping everyone guessing.
I’m intrigued to gauge the fan reaction to what our creator is building to and how we end the season. It will be great to see how Tim has grown and how he will manage this new setup and diving into some family time.
The youth support has been incredible. I love it! I was obsessed with shows like “Growing Pains,” “[The] Cosby Show,” “Who’s the Boss” and “Different Stokes.” They are all such great family comedies.
We know how active you are on TikTok. Please give me a sampling of what your algorithm is feeding you.
My algorithm is all over the map. I get a lot of trends because that’s what I post, but also history stuff, aliens and stand-up comedian clips. That’s what I listen to at the gym now.
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
I often share comedy clips and also strange UFO/ancient phenomenon. I get so wrapped up in theories and want to get my wife’s opinion as well as friends.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again? (Please explain.)
I was excited to wrap up “Stranger Things” [Netflix] and now [I’m] obsessed with “Severance” [Apple TV]. My big comfort watch on the regular is documentaries. I am always looking for something in that space — sometimes true crime, but I love sports and history stuff too. Just watched a great one recently on AI called “The Thinking Game” [Prime Video].
Although the goal of “Saturday Night Live” week after week is comedy (“Allegedly!” yells a heckler from the back row), not all guests hosts show up just to prove they can be hilarious.
Instead, some do the show to not only promote their latest project, but to introduce additional parts of themselves to what may be the biggest audience they’ve had to date.
That felt like the case with Teyana Taylor, who was nominated this week for a lead actress Oscar for “One Battle After Another” after walking away with a Golden Globe earlier this month. In her first time hosting “SNL,” the goal seemed less to make her the funniest host than to show people who only know her from the Paul Thomas Anderson film that she’s incredibly talented in more ways than just acting.
After a charming monologue that included her young children, Taylor sang with cast member Kenan Thompson in an airport terminal sketch featuring Shrimp ‘n’ Grits, two gate agents who make their flight delay announcements as R&B songs. Sure, cast member James Austin Johnson may have come in and stolen the sketch as a pilot who’s been drinking, but it was the first indication that Taylor could hold her own vocally with the longest-running cast member in “SNL” history, Thompson.
Later in the show, she dazzled in a dance performance as a surprisingly limber 87-year-old grandpa who’s brought to life by Earth, Wind & Fire songs at his grandson’s wedding. She co-hosted a news panel show in which the two Black hosts (Taylor and Thompson) wordlessly hum judgment on opinions spouted by their white panelists (Mikey Day and Chloe Fineman) and played her “One Battle” character Perfidia Beverly Hills in a pitch-perfect Mattel toy commercial parody.
Taylor played smaller supporting parts such as sideline reporter Lisa Salters in an NFL report that turns into an extended promo for a lesbian culinary show called “Quefs.” “Queer Chefs?” Sportscasters Troy Aikman (Andrew Dismukes) and Joe Buck (Johnson) were afraid to guess. She also portrayed a confused contestant who is there to make friends on a “Survivor”/”Traitors”-style reality competition show and a student in a confidence class taught by a wreck of a teacher (a fantastic Ashley Padilla).
Was Taylor the funniest host “SNL” has had this season? Not by a long shot. But she proved to be one of the most multi-talented.
Musical guests Geese performed “Au Pays du Cocaine” and “Trinidad.” Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy wrote and directed a short film that closed the episode about techniques to get someone to break up with you.
In what may have been a missed opportunity, “SNL” wasn’t able to pivot on short notice to address the day’s biggest national news in its cold open: the killing of an ICU nurse by federal agents in Minneapolis. The incident was alluded to on “Weekend Update,” and egregiously missing from a news panel sketch that specifically talked about incidents in Minneapolis. Instead, perhaps to the show’s detriment, it was another week of Johnson’s President Trump impression, this time as host of the Trumps, an award show for the president and members of his administration. There were jokes at the expense of J.D. Vance (Jeremy Culhane) and Kristi Noem (Padilla); for the former it was a dig on his sexuality while Noem was honored for sucking up to Trump before the president stole her award, Kanye West-style. Mike Myers returned as twitchy, unfunny Elon Musk, there to introduce a memorial segment and accompanying song eulogizing the things the Trump administration has taken down including the East Wing, D.E.I., civil rights and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Taylor’s monologue focused on the other interests and pursuits she has apart from acting in Oscar-nominated films, like directing and going to culinary school. She showed a clip of herself dancing in MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16,” a real thing that happened in her life, and mentioned winning “The Masked Singer” (also true). But the monologue ended with Taylor discussing being a mother and how her big moment at the Golden Globes was undercut by her kids playing on their phones during her speech. Cut to her kids in the “SNL” audience, looking at their phones. Any parent could relate.
Best sketch of the night: This could be better than Mattel’s ‘Boogie Nights’ playsets
You may think that the only movie kids care about at the Academy Awards this year is “KPop Demon Hunters,” but according to this ad from Mattel, it’s toys based on “One Battle After Another” that they really want. The movie’s main characters get action figures with accessories like a battle robe for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Bob and a pregnant belly add-on for Taylor’s. The parents in the ad (Padilla and Mikey Day) don’t love their kids acting out the lives of toys with names like Junglepussy or reenacting a motel sex scene between Taylor and Sean Penn’s characters. Great conclusion to the piece: the promise of toys based on other Anderson films including “There Will Be Blood.” “I’ve abandoned my boy!” a kid cries, a clever shoutout to an all-but-forgotten Bill Hader sketch.
Also good: Grandpa Jackson probably dances so well because he has no bones
Wedding sketches are a staple on “SNL,” but there probably has never been a guest host who danced the hell out of one the way Taylor did as Grandpa Jackson, who takes to the dance floor to celebrate the bride and groom (Padilla and Kam Patterson). Even with the sketch threatening to go off the rails as Taylor’s bald cap started peeling off, she never missed a step and her dance moves were astonishing. Johnson appeared as a sort-of doctor to help the grandfather after he finally collapses to put a nice capper on the basic, but very effective sketch.
‘Weekend Update’ winner: That’s a wrap for ‘cap’
New featured cast member Culhane debuted on “Update” as Mr. On Blast, a roasting commentator with very light roasts and a lot of body language. But it was Marcello Hernández who won the week with helpful translations of Gen Z expressions including “chopped,” “fahhh” and “glo-up.” Hernández teased “Update” co-host Colin Jost for being out of the loop, declaring terms such as “cap” dead the moment Jost used them (with a gravestone for emphasis). As Hernández explained, Gen Z slang is just Black slang adopted by young people before it gets used by white people. “Once Elon Musk says it, it’s dead,” he declared.
Described by film fans as a ‘slow burn’ and a hidden gem, this highly praised thriller stars Emile Hirsch, John Cusack, Déborah François and Molly McCann
‘Damn good’ hidden gem Western ‘just like Unforgiven’ on Film4 tonight(Image: )
A gritty Western starring John Cusack is ‘blowing viewers away’ with its ‘slow burn’, and it’s airing tonight (Sunday, January 25) on Film4.
Never Grow Old, released in 2019, is directed by Ivan Kavanagh. and stars Emile Hirsch, John Cusack, Déborah François and Molly McCann. The film is a gritty Western telling the story of an Irish undertaker, Patrick Tate (Emile Hirsch), living in a frontier town corrupted by outlaw Dutch Albert (John Cusack) and his gang. As the death toll skyrockets, Patrick profits from burying the dead but faces a moral crisis and threats to his family, forcing him to choose between blood money and survival in a violent world without law or religion.
The film has been praised as being a hidden gem by fans on film ratings website Rotten Tomatoes, where it holds an 86 per cent score. One review posted: “Slow burn, with plenty of understated tension. Not an action western, more of an underplayed character drama with some brutally honest killing. Very good movie!”
Another posted: “Whoa, acting blew me away. And I’m not usually one who notices THAT particular part of a film. Yeah, the story might be a trope in some ways, but the performances and mood are worthwhile.”
“Perfect feel to this 1850s’ period movie. I enjoyed it very much! A+,” said a third.
A fourth added: “Never Grow Old is a slow-burn type of western that utilises its rich subtext and visual symbolism to create a thought-provoking narrative and look into the bleak western frontier life.”
“A great plot, great actors, and a massive dose of spine-chilling action, in other words, a great movie,” said a fifth.
Another shared: “Dark, brooding and bleak would be the best 3 words to describe this film…and I use them as compliments! The dialogue between Cusack and Hirsch boils with so much tension…all leading up to a conclusion that honestly left me speechless.”
One review praised the film as it said: “I enjoyed this movie. Everything from the sets to the costumes and the demeanour of it was right on point. Every shot was spot on with the overall look.
“Emile Hirsch and John Cusack do well with the material, and it seems rooted down into its genre. But it didn’t depict what a 1850s’ settlement would be. The flags were not like that since it was before the Civil War. That I suppose is its main drawback, but it was well told and didn’t have too much violence and was a relief with some fresh air about it. Good movie and worth a look at.”
Another shared their view: “Damn good piece of filmmaking. My mother’s aunt’s brother’s nephew’s wife’s cousin was on the California trail and said this was a very accurate picture. She said Cusack did an amazing job; he looks just like Dutch Albert and got all his mannerisms down. She also said Hirsch did a great job, too, and looks just like Patrick Tate and got him down pat, too.
“Very accurate performances, almost like they knew the men. She said the story was how it happened and corroborates everything. They even filmed on location where it happened and made it look exactly like it was. Great job!
“The story is a bit dark, so be in the mood. The tension and the storytelling are great, though. Overall, it’s a great movie to watch.”
Never Grow Old airs tonight (Sunday, January 25) on Film4 at 11.40pm.
There are many different approaches to making a tour film that captures the life of musicians on the road. Perhaps you focus on the highs of performance or the boredom of traveling, the anonymous backstage rooms and endless planes, buses and hotel rooms. But what if you made all of that seem really fun?
Directed by Tamra Davis, “The Best Summer,” which debuts at Sundance tonight in the Midnight section, is rooted in a box of videotapes that the filmmaker found early last year while evacuating from the fires near her longtime family home in Malibu. Though they are now separated, Davis still shares the compound with Michael Diamond, better known as Mike D of the group Beastie Boys. On those tapes was footage Davis shot in late 1995 and early 1996 as the band toured through Australia and Asia, sharing bills with the likes of Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Pavement, Beck, Rancid, the Amps and Bikini Kill.
“I just always had a camera in my hands,” Davis, 64, said in an interview conducted earlier this week. “I identify as a filmmaker. This is normal for me to have a camera in my hand. People don’t think twice about it. It’s so unobtrusive.”
A few days before Davis would drive to Park City, Utah, with her friend, neighbor and co-producer Shelby Meade, the two were sitting on the backyard patio of Davis’ Malibu home (it survived the fires just fine) as a couple of dogs ran around the yard. When she spots a hawk flying overhead, Davis calls for one of her two sons to be sure to round up the few chickens roaming around.
“The Best Summer” brings a blast of ’90s nostalgia to the festival. Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon are both expected to attend the screening as well.
A throughline for the movie is Davis and Hanna interviewing members of the bands, asking them a standard series of questions including their favorite color, what they’re reading and what their personal motto is before Hanna gets into trickier concepts about performance and persona, seemingly figuring those things out for herself in real time.
“With Mike, I filmed so much — every time I went out on the road with them,” says Davis. “So I had tons of Beastie Boys stuff. I didn’t know I had all of that other stuff. I filmed Foo Fighters and Beck and Pavement, I didn’t know I filmed any of that. I looked at it and I see, oh my gosh, I’m so diligent: Oh, I better get Pavement. Check.”
At the time of the tour, Davis had recently finished directing “Billy Madison,” which launched the movie career of Adam Sandler. Having made music videos for countless bands, including many on the tour, Davis had also directed Drew Barrymore in the 1992 noir remake “Guncrazy” and Chris Rock in the rap mockumentary “CB4.” She would go on to direct Dave Chappelle in “Half Baked” and Britney Spears in “Crossroads,” as well as work extensively on documentaries, including “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child,” which played Sundance in 2010.
Mike D, left, MCA and Ad-Rock of Beastie Boys as seen in the documentary “The Best Summer,” premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
(Tamra Davis)
At the time of the Australian tour in “The Best Summer,” Davis and Diamond were newly married and there is a honeymoon vibe of sunny sweetness to the proceedings. The bands play for sprawling crowds in between lots of playful hangout time.
It was though manager John Silva, who works with a number of the bands in the movie, that Davis was able to start the process of getting permissions and untangling the tricky issues of music rights. She had to show each individual band the movie in order to get their approval.
“The only people I wanted notes from was the bands,” Davis says. “I work all the time with Netflix, Paramount, whatever, like all those things. I can’t get that note and then translate it to the band. But if Adam [Horovitz of the Beastie Boys] had a note or if Kim [Gordon of Sonic Youth] had a note, I would do those notes. And I felt so proud to do their note and be like, ‘Done, you’ve got that.’ That’s why I wanted to make sure it was self-funded because I could control it like that. It could just be between me and the artist. It’s just me doing the end credits.”
Working with editor Jessica Hernandez, Davis wanted to keep the loose feel of the original footage, including how she often would shoot entire songs in a single take, her camera moving from one musician to the next as one might naturally look at them from the audience. The raw sound comes from the built-in microphone on her camera. Some additional post-production work had to be done on the interview footage, but the audio of the concert footage is, for the most part, she says, unaltered.
“It’s like watching a memory,” said Davis. “And for me especially, to watch it again was like a ‘Black Mirror’ episode of going back and somebody being like: This is what it looked like from your point of view at this time. That was your experience.”
It’s something Davis has heard from other band members after showing them the film. “Adam said it felt like I reached into his brain and pulled out that memory,” she says. “He didn’t realize there was somebody filming it. So to him he was like: How did you know that memory existed in my head?”
Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Kathleen Hanna, Tobi Vail, Tamra Davis and Alfredo Ortiz in the documentary “The Best Summer.”
(Mike Diamond)
Davis had previously put Hanna in the Sonic Youth video for their 1994 song “Bull in the Heather” as well as in a short film called “No Alternative Girls,” so the two already knew each other. But they latched onto each other during the tour, taking on the informal project of the interviews and collecting candid and revealing moments with Gordon, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus and others.
“It became like that friendship that you have at summer camp,” says Davis. “[Hanna] goes, I was so glad that you and I had that same energy where we were just these girls going into people’s dressing rooms, ‘OK, we’re here to interview you.’ We were just bored. We were trying to get something to do.”
It was Diamond who suggested to Davis that the end credits should say “Starring Kathleen Hanna” for the outsized role she has in the film. Another highlight of “The Best Summer” is when Hanna interviews Horovitz. The two would marry in 2006, and their moments together in the film have the energy of a rom-com meet-cute.
“She’s so bossy and she’s really forward,” said Davis. “And I’m pretty bossy too, but she’s just like, ‘Look, this is how it’s gonna go.’ And just her questions are so good. When I started to really put it together, I loved all of that. I think before I showed it to her, I texted her a couple times and I was like, ‘Kathleen, I’m making this movie and you’re all over it.’ And she was like, ‘Am I going to be embarrassed?’ And I’m like, ‘No, you’re going to love this.’”
Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of the band Sonic Youth, as seen in the documentary “The Best Summer.”
(Tamra Davis)
One thing that jumps out watching the concert footage is the lack of cell phones, how the ubiquitous screens that one sees nowadays in the audience at shows did not yet exist.
“I think there’s an authenticity about it,” Davis says. “When I look at my female performers and the artists in this film, I love how they present themselves and how equal they seem with the men. I just feel that open acceptance of everybody. I know that my kids really like that world. When you see a whole video and they’re not cutting, there’s authenticity in that. Now we never have that experience of what that’s like, to have that connection with the band — and they’re connected to you as well.”
With a few possible feature film projects percolating, Davis has been at work on a memoir, currently scheduled to come out next year, that includes anecdotes of when she went to Italy as a teenager and found herself watching Federico Fellini shoot “City of Women” or hustled her way into shadowing Francis Ford Coppola as he made 1981’s “One From the Heart.”
As a woman working as a director in Hollywood in the 1990s, there were not a lot of choices presented to Davis and she often felt she had to make the most of whatever was available.
“Sometimes people are like, oh my God, it’s amazing you got to direct ‘Billy Madison,’ you got to direct Chris Rock in ‘CB4’ or ‘Half-Baked’ with Dave Chappelle. That’s what I was offered,” she recalls. “These were unknown comedians. They’d never done a feature film. As a girl, that’s what you get what’s offered. But then how do you turn that into something special? I thought those guys were the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life. So I direct like a fan.”
It’s a statement of purpose that’s guided Davis even as she’s ping-ponged between a huge amount of TV work, from “P-Valley” to the TV version of “High School Musical.”
“I become the best viewer for that show,” she says. “And so it’s not me imposing my style on them. It’s me appreciating how much I love that, what I’m seeing in front of me. And trying to get that best version across.”
Revisiting the ’90s while making “The Best Summer” has been a positive experience for Davis, one she hopes will resonate with others as well, not simply as a fun tour doc revisiting a very specific time, but also as a reminder the things can be small, personal and handmade.
“I’m think it’s exciting for young filmmakers to see that there’s a film in the festival that’s shot by one person,” she says. “It makes you feel like you don’t need to have a gigantic everything to make a movie. One person can make a film. I feel like that’s inspiring.
“And then I’m also excited as a woman of age that you can get a film into Sundance, that your career is not over,” she adds. “I always felt like, ‘Oh, you’re too young.’ Then it’s, ‘You’re too old.’ It was never the right time for me. But I felt like it was my time, so you just had to keep doing it.”
Rachel Duffy, who was the first female Traitor to win the series, claimed she’d been trained by a former FBI agent prior to going on The Traitors, in order to help her sniff out the deceitful
Traitors winner Rachel shares truth about FBI training admitting ‘obvious lie’(Image: )
Rachel Duffy has come clean about the “obvious lie” she told on The Traitors. She claimed that she had “months” of FBI training but has now admitted that this was not completely true.
Whilst on The Traitors, Rachel was one of the original murderous trio who the Faithfuls were trying to catch. As she and fellow Traitor Stephen both reached the end, they took the prize pot, splitting £95,000 between the two of them.
One claim that made Rachel seem more trustworthy to the Faithfuls was that she had completed months of FBI training, helping her notice microexpressions that happen on liars’ faces. She used this claim whenever she was questioned on how she could know with such certainty that Fiona was a Traitor.
But, she has now told The Mirror that this was not the entire truth. “I did one of [the FBI agent’s] training courses, but I did… I obviously lied,” she admitted.
“And so I had said it was a four-month online course… but it was more of like a one-day course on an e-book. But it did help because it gave me something in my back pocket.”
Rachel has also shared that though she has no plans for further reality TV appearances, she is thinking of writing a book. “No immediate plans to go for reality TV. I think I’ve done enough with that one.” she said.
“I think my focus now is on the kids and potentially bringing my book to life. So I’ve written a book, taken 10 years to write it… it’s about murder and lies… a contemporary fantasy novel for young adults all about Irish redheads in a magical forest.”
Family pride in Rachel ran deep according to the proud mum: “My husband was the only one that knew, and he’d never watched the show. So when I told him… he said, ‘that’s great’, and ‘oh, good job’… My little kids watched last night with the family and they just couldn’t get over it.”
Rachel was the first female Traitor to win the series and she and Stephen were the first Traitor pair to win together. Prior winners have either been groups of Faithfuls or a single male Traitor.
The pair’s win largely came down to a pact they made early on. After they both turned on their other Traitor Hugo, they agreed not to dob each other in. That pact lasted all the way to the end.
In the tense final, Rachel repeatedly told Stephen that she would not turn on him but both of them seemed to waver, with Rachel even agreeing with Faraaz to vote Stephen out. But when it came to the roundtable, she and Stephen both got rid of Faraaz instead, whilst he voted for Stephen and Jack voted for Rachel.
Then they both teamed up to get rid of Jack, leaving them as the only two left in the game. As such, they split £95,000 between the two of them.
Two stars of The Night Manager season two appeared in a beloved period drama on Apple TV+
*Warning – This article contains major spoilers for The Night Manager season 2.*
A “breathtaking” period drama with The Night Manager stars has had fans watching it “on repeat”. The Night Manager has returned for its second season on BBC One, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Jonathan Pine.
The first season of the hit BBC thriller aired back in 2016, and centred around Jonathan, the night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo, who was also a former British solider. At the start of the series, Jonathan was recruited by Angela Burr (Olivia Colman), the manager of a Foreign Office task force investigating illegal arms sale. He was tasked with infiltrating the inner circle of arms deal Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie).
The start of the second season saw Angela identify Richard’s body, but a shock twist was later unveiled, as Richard was confirmed to be alive and working with his son Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) in Colombia.
Jonathan was reunited with Angela last week, who revealed that Richard had threatened her family if she didn’t comply with his orders to fake his death. An explosive set of events then ensued, as Jonathan rushed to stop Teddy killing a young boy, with Richard soon learning of Jonathan’s reappearance in his life.
Ahead of the penultimate episode of season two airing on BBC One tonight (Sunday, January 25), fans might be interested to watch another drama with two of this season’s stars.
Tom Hiddleston and his season two co-star Hayley Squires, who plays Jonathan’s colleague Sally Price-Jones, both star in Gothic romance series The Essex Serpent.
Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Perry, the six-part period drama is set in the Victorian era and tells the story of Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes) who moves from London to Essex, relishing her newfound freedom after being widowed by her abusive husband.
She becomes intrigued by the myth of a creature known as the Essex Serpent, leading her to the community’s spiritual leader, Will Ransome (played by Tom), as she seeks to uncover the origins of the creature. “But when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature,” the synopsis adds.
Actress Hayley played Martha, a highly intelligent servant in Cora’s household, acting as her closest confidante. The show’s cast also includes Frank Dillane, Clémence Poésy, Jamael Westman, Lily-Rose Aslandogdu, Gerard Kearns, Michael Jibson, Caspar Griffiths, and Dixie Egerickx.
Ryan Reffell, Nitin Ganatra, Christopher Fairbank, Deepica Stephen, Yaamin Chowdhury and Greta Bellamacina round out the stacked cast.
Filming for The Essex Serpent began in February 2021 in a number of Essex locations, including Alresford, Brightlingsea, North Fambridge and Maldon, as well as across London, including Gordon Square in Bloomsbury. The show debuted on Apple TV+ in May 2022, where it received positive reviews from critics and viewers alike.
“What a joy to watch. Everything about this is first class from the minute it starts to the end. Beautifully filmed with a lot of scenes that are utterly breathtaking. Such an emotional and complex story,” one person wrote on IMDb.
Another added: “This series is absolutely exquisite! Every detail from the cinematography, music, writing, setting and acting all blend together in perfect harmony. The themes of social and economic class disparities, science, scapegoating, superstition, faith and of course infinite love, weave together effortlessly to make this a very powerful story.”
A third said: “I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of The Essex Serpent. It did not disappoint, I’ve been a fan of Tom Hiddleston a long time, and he yet again gives another great performance. I love Claire Danes role as Cora, she makes me want to be more carefree as her. A beautiful forbidden romance, mystery, and a struggle with one’s own beliefs reign in this show. Eager for more.”
A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “Mesmerising from the start, and thoroughly captivating to the end. The story is brilliant, the characters solid, and the eerie mood of the Essex estuaries is masterfully captured on screen. All the events, along with the terrifying and exciting music, made me fall in love with this series. I keep watching it on repeat.”
The Essex Serpent is available to stream on Apple TV+, while The Night Manager airs every Sunday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website
Amber Gill, who won Love Island in 2019, has issued a hilarious takedown on Curtis Pritchard after her former co-star returned to the villa yet again
Curtis Pritchard is looking for romance once again on Love Island (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Amber Gill has issued a scathing attack on Curtis Pritchard after he returned to the Love Island villa again. The TV star, 28, shot to fame when she and then-boyfriend Greg O’Shea emerged victorious from the ITV2 dating series in 2019, on which Curtis also appeared, finishing in fourth place with then-girlfriend Maura Higgins.
The pair called time on their relationship shortly after leaving the show and Curtis has since returned to the villa to try to find love again on the spin-off All Stars spin-off, having made his entrance to the programme as a Bombshell earlier this week. It comes after he signed up to appear on Love Island Games in 2023, and also finished in third place on last year’s edition of All Stars alongside Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.
As Amber watched Curtis’s arrival on screen, she took to TikTok to post a video where she demanded to know just why Curtis has appeared time and time again on various formats of the show. She began: “I’m not being funny but how many times do we need to see this guy do the salsa?
“I mean, like, all love but it’s been seven years man [since he first appeared on the show], how many times do I have to watch him with the f****n’ budgie smugglers on f****n’ waltzing about the place with a headpiece on doing the splits and that. Like how many timesssss!”
The news of Curtis’ latest return to the villa was also revealed on social media, with a post from the show’s official account. Alongside a shirtless picture of Curtis, the caption read: “Bringing Bombshell confidence and hoping for less drama this time round, Curtis is dancing back into the All Stars Villa!”
Ekin wrote: “Just chocked on my Nando’s,” and received over 300 replies. Amber said: “You’re kidding me”, and Ronnie Vint wrote: “Anyone wanna coffee.” Sammy Root wrote: “Who’s idea was that”.
A fan then commented: “This has to be the last love island all stars I’m sorry how many times can we recycle.” Meanwhile, on the post that announced that Lucinda Strafford would also be making a comeback was flooded with comments about how many times she had been on the show before, one fan wrote: “Only just won love island games? She shouldn’t be on the show.” Another said: “Nooo she needs to rest!! She just won love island games.”
During his first time in the Love Island villa, Curtis became best known for making coffees in the morning in what soon became a viral moment. Speaking of his All Stars stint, he said: “I feel like I’m in a different stage in my life.
“The idea of settling down is a serious idea in my life right now. I haven’t found my true love… that sounds so cheesy doesn’t it. So, I thought, let’s give it another go. It was great fun last time; a lot of emotions. I feel excited to go back. I’m going to have a great fun time and hopefully leave with someone. It’s exciting.”
Asked if his comment followed him everywhere, he added: “It follows me everywhere! In hindsight, if I do find a girl this time, I will perhaps cuddle her in bed rather than make coffee… so Amy taught me a lesson.” Curtis is said to have “jumped” at the opportunity after splitting from his partner Sophie Sheridan towards the end of last year.
Curtis’ most recent relationship was with performer Sophie, with them believed to have met when they appeared in a pantomime production of Cinderella in Wolverhampton in 2021. There was speculation about a possible romance between them the following year and it was reported that they rekindled a romance following his stint on Love Island Games
Love Island All Stars airs on ITV2 and is available on ITVX.
The Masked Singer viewers took to social media to brand the ITV show ‘rigged’ after Anton Du Beke and Kate Nash were eliminated in a double unmasking on Saturday night
23:25, 24 Jan 2026Updated 23:25, 24 Jan 2026
The Masked Singer said goodbye to two stars on Saturday night(Image: ITV)
Viewers of The Masked Singer have criticised the ITV competition show, claiming the ‘best singers’ are being knocked out following a double elimination on Saturday night (January 24). As The Masked Singer returned for another instalment, the judges were challenged with working out who was behind the remaining costumes after three previous unveilings.
Judges Maya Jama, Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan, and Davina McCall were joined on Saturday night’s episode (January 24) by guest panellist Perrie Edwards, famous for being in girl group Little Mix. This week, Perrie and the fellow judges opted to vote out Arctic Fox after the studio audience automatically sent home Monkey Business with the lowest public vote.
Singer Kate Nash, famous for her track Foundations, was unveiled as the celebrity inside the Monkey Business outfit, while Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke was revealed when the panel voted out Arctic Fox, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Following the double elimination – the first of the series – fans flocked to social media to claim the programme is ‘rigged’ after the ‘best singers’ were sent packing. Over wrote: “Absolutely rigged.” Another said: “This whole thing is rigged. Why would you vote off Monkey Business and then go on to save Red Panda.”
A third said: “What what #maskedsingeruk this is stupid ! ! ? ? Joke best singers eliminated!” Another asked: “Why are all the good performs being unmasked and yet the others just because they are wearing a cute costume they stay?”
Anton Du Beke delivered a stunning performance of Barbara Streisand’s Woman in Love, whilst Kate Nash belted out Georgia Brown’s As Long As He Needs Me.
Anton Du Beke and Kate Nash joined the growing list of unmasked celebrities on this series of The Masked Singer, following revelations including The One Show host Alex Jones, rapper Professor Green, Sex Pistols legend John Lydon, and last week’s unveiling of Shakespears Sister vocalist Marcella Detroit.
Nearly 500 people have stopped to sign a giant replica of the birthday card President Trump gave to the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. The clandestine arts activism group Secret Handshake erected the pop-up monument Monday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The messages speak volumes about this singular moment in history, and the president who has consumed much of the world’s oxygen for the past decade. Secret Handshake provided The Times with a sampling of its favorite offerings, which I’m listing below. Taken together with the 10-foot-tall card made of plywood and metal piping, the words of passersby represent their own form of protest art.
“Quiet Piggy”
“The Epstein Files is to Trump what Heel is to Achilles”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.”
“You have ruined so many lives!”
“Shame to all who don’t stand up to him”
“We are all immigrants!”
“CONGRESS – DO SOMETHING!”
“Your MAGA base is becoming disillusioned”
“Do not let the victims be forgotten”
“25th Amendment”
“Where are Republicans?”
“Listen to Women!”
“America’s Worst President”
“The truth will be revealed. Justice will be served.”
“Redacted!”
“It’s WE the people!”
“This is how Trump’s kids found out their dad does send birthday cards”
“We don’t want GREENLAND, what we want is THE EPSTEIN FILES”
“Congress do better for the people – stand up!”
“Do not reject the evidence”
“I hope you get your 25th birthday present!”
“The time is always right to do what is right”
“SEND HELP!”
To date, Secret Handshake has claimed responsibility for five other subversive Trump-related artworks on the National Mall, including a 12-foot statue depicting Trump and Epstein holding hands, titled, “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” which was removed by the National Park Service less than 24 hours after it was put up — only to be reinstalled almost a week later after the group triumphed in a protracted permitting battle. There was also “Poop Desk,” a bronze art installation featuring a pile of feces on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk.
“We’re big fans of birthdays in general because they’re really a time when you can take a moment to appreciate and celebrate the ones you love. And we believe President Trump is as well — he even had a big military parade for his own last year,” Secret Handshake wrote in an email. “So taking a cue from his own seeming love of birthdays, we wanted to step in and help highlight another birthday he allegedly also took the time to celebrate — Jeffrey Epstein’s — by giving it a proper public glow up.”
And just like a birthday card you would pass around an office to sign with well wishes, we felt like this was a really organic opportunity to let the public in on the celebration and have their voice heard,” the group continued. “And finally, we just want to thank President Trump personally for allegedly providing the artwork. It’s not every day that a sitting President is also such a provocative and accomplished artist. Allegedly.”
I’m arts editor Jessica Gelt, allegedly rounding up all this week’s arts and culture news. And away we go!
On our radar
“Bouquet of White Roses” by Amoako Boafo, 2025. Oil on canvas 84.65 x 70.87 inches (215 x 180 cm).
(Amoako Boafo/Roberts Projects)
Amoako Boafo The exhibition “I Bring Home with Me” features new work by Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo, exploring and celebrating Blackness and its perspectives, installed within an architectural re-creation of the artist’s studio in Accra. The artist combines finger painting and collaging on the surface of his canvases to evoke vivid colors, bold compositions, patterns and textures. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, through March 21. Roberts Projects, 442 South La Brea Ave. robertsprojectsla.com
Aviva Gelfer-Mundl, center, with Marco Biella, from left, Cesar Ramirez, Jacob Soltero and Bryce Broedell, from “Rubies.”
(Nathan Carlson)
20 Years of Los Angeles Ballet In December of 2006, a fledgling company of dancers led by artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary gave its first performances “The Nutcracker” (set in 1912 California) at the Wilshire Theatre, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Now, all grown-up, the troupe kicks off 2026 with a triple-bill performance of George Balanchine’s “Rubies,” Hans van Manen’s “Frank Bridge Variations” and a new work by current LAB artistic director Melissa Barak. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Jan. 31. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
Justin Tanner in “My Son the Playwright.”
(Jeff Lorch)
My Son the Playwright Longtime L.A. theatergoers are very familiar with Justin Tanner, whom The Times’ Don Shirley referred to in 1994 as “L.A.’s coolest, grooviest playwright.” His mostly L.A.-set plays of comic dysfunctional suburbia with titles like “Pot Mom” and “Zombie Attack!,” often attract stars or soon-to-be stars such as Mark Ruffalo, Laurie Metcalf and French Stewart. For his new play, Tanner is the star, taking on the roles of both his father and his younger self, in a deeply personal solo performance. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 5 p.m. Sundays; also Feb. 2, 16 and 23, Jan. 24 through March 1. Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood. roguemachinetheatre.org
— Kevin Crust
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The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY Adams, Ólafsson & Copland John Adams conducts the L.A. Phil in a program made up entirely of American composers, including his own new piano concerto, “After the Fall,” with soloist Víkingur Ólafsson, Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question, Roy Harris’ “Symphony No. 3” and Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring.” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Birdie The Barcelona theater company Agrupación Señor Serrano juxtaposes two realities, one plagued by war and economic turbulence and another that enjoys leisure and prosperity, in this multimedia performance that utilizes live video, scale models, 2000 mini animals and Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. UCLA MacGowan Little Theater, 245 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Westwood. cap.ucla.edu
Brownstone Playwright Catherine Butterfield’s bittersweet comedic drama features three stories, set in 1978, 1937 and 1999, that all occur on the second floor of the same classic New York building. Directed by Ron West. Friday is a preview, Saturday is opening night. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 28. Open Fist at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. openfist.org
Margaret Cho: Choligarchy The comedian takes on racism, homophobia and sexism, while delivering singular takes on addiction, abuse, activism and Asianness on this stand-up tour. 7 p.m. Friday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
Brian Vaughn, from left, Kim Martin-Cotten, Elysia Roorbach and Gabriel Gaston in South Coast Repertory’s production of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
(Jon White)
God of Carnage/Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Two classics of dysfunctional domestic drama by Yasmina Reza and Edward Albee, respectively, are presented in repertory with overlapping casts. Through March 21. South Coast Repertory, Emmes/Benson Theatre Center, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scr.org
Walter Murch Retrospective The American Cinematheque salutes the three-time Oscar-winning editor and sound designer. Murch will appear for three Q&As, as well as deliver a master class prior to the screening of “Apocalypse Now.” “The Conversation,” 7 p.m. Friday. “THX 1138,” 3 p.m. Saturday. “Return to Oz,” 7 p.m. Saturday. “Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut,” 5 p.m. Sunday. Jan. 23-25 Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com
Ryan Preciado An exhibition of new and recent work by the artist, “Diary Of A Fly” includes an installation, plus sculptures and textiles that respond in part to the environment of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House and its artistic history. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, through April 25. Hollyhock House, 4800 Hollywood Blvd. hollyhockhouse.org
Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere An exhibition of photographs chronicles the work of the photojournalist whose adventures took him from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to Hollywood film sets in the 1970s and 1980s. The show takes its title from Maura Smith’s 2025 documentary on Schapiro, which screens with director Q&As at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Laemmle Monica (1332 2nd St., Santa Monica). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, through March 21. Fahey/Klein Gallery 148 N. La Brea Ave. faheykleingallery.com
SATURDAY
Vocalist Arooj Aftab in 2021.
(Tonje Thilesen/For The Times)
The Pakistani-born, Brooklyn-based artist Arooj Aftab won a Grammy in 2022 for best global music performance for her song “Mohabbat.” In 2024, she released her fourth album, “Night Reign,” which was nominated for the best alternative jazz album Grammy. 7:30 p.m. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
Romantic Realms Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Colburn Orchestra in Bruckner’s “Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major.” Also on the program, Salonen Conducting Fellows Aleksandra Melaniuk (Liszt’s “Les Preludes”) and Mert Yalniz (the world premiere of his own composition, “Limit”) take the baton. 7 p.m. Saturday. UCLA Royce Hall, 10745 Dickson Court, Westwood. colburnschool.edu
TUESDAY
Pianist Seong-Jin Cho performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic last summer at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
Seong-Jin Cho The South Korean pianist performs selections from Liszt, Beethoven and Bartók, followed by 14 Chopin waltzes in a Colburn Celebrity Recital. 8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience A theatrical homage to the writer and human rights activist created by Fountain Theatre artistic director Raymond O. Caldwell and composer Adrienne Torf, who was Jordan’s longtime collaborator and life partner. Through March 29. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com
— Kevin Crust
Culture news and the SoCal scene
Patrick Page in “All The Devils Are Here.”
(Julieta Cervantes)
Inventing the modern villain Times theater critic Charles McNulty weighed in on Patrick Page’s traveling solo Shakespeare seminar, “All the Devils Are Here,” which opened Jan. 15 at BroadStage in Santa Monica, calling it “refreshingly 19th century.” McNulty also noted that villains come naturally to the veteran actor, who received a Tony nomination for playing Hades in “Hadestown.” Page “might not smack his lips when impersonating evil, but he certainly doesn’t stint on the flamboyant color. An American Shakespearean who can hold his own with the Brits, he combines mellifluous diction with muscular imagination,” McNulty writes.
Extraordinary things Times classical music critic Mark Swed caught the premiere of “From Ordinary Things” as part of CAP UCLA’s series at the Nimoy Theater. The evening featured the latest project of singer Julia Bullock, who Swed calls “one of the least ordinary and most compelling singers of this new generation …. A rivetingly theatrical soprano, Bullock, in collaboration with percussionist/composer Tyshawn Sorey and director Peter Sellars, has developed a full-scale operatic evening.”
Studying the big freeze In breaking museum news, Times staffer Malia Mendez got the scoop Thursday that the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County announced its largest-ever donation — a gift from the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, which will be used to establish the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research. The center will serve as the “intellectual backbone” of the La Brea Tar Pits’ long-planned makeover, according to NHM President and Director Lori Bettison-Varga. To date, the board has raised $131 million toward its $240-million goal for the campaign.
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Nature’s theater Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum has announced its 2026 summer season. The otherworldly outdoor theater nestled in the cool woods of Topanga plans five mainstage plays, as well as a slate of family-friendly and music-centered satellite events. The plays are “Romeo and Juliet”; “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”; Ellen Geer’s reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”; Noël Coward’s “Waiting in the Wings”; and a new comedy titled “The People of Pompeii” by playwright and Topanga resident Bernardo Cubría. Satellite events include Family Fundays, described by the company as “a half-hour of interactive storytelling, music, and friendship for kids seven and under (but open to the whole family). These are set to take place every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. from June 21 through August 9. For tickets and additional details, click here.
— Jessica Gelt
And last but not least
L.A.’s best cheesesteak is in Pasadena writes Times food critic Bill Addison. There’s a catch, though: It’s $24, and you have to stand in a line. Even though I will undoubtedly eat one of these, my husband, who is from Pennsylvania, says that’s not how cheesesteaks are supposed to work. He remembers them being the go-to blue collar food of his coal-mining family members.
Francis Buchholz, the former bassist for the German hard rock band Scorpions who performed at the height of the band’s global stardom, has died. He was 71.
Buchholz’s family confirmed the death in a post on social media, saying, “It is with overwhelming sadness and heavy hearts we share the news that our beloved Francis passed away yesterday after a private battle with cancer. He departed this world peacefully, surrounded by love. … To his fans around the world — we want to thank you for your unwavering loyalty, your love, and the belief you placed in him throughout his incredible journey. You gave him the world, and he gave you his music in return.”
Scorpions also said in a statement, “We have just received the very sad news that our longtime friend and bass player, Francis Buchholz, has passed away. His legacy with the band will live on forever, and we will always remember the many good times we have shared together.”
Born in Hanover, West Germany, in 1954, Buchholz first played in the rock band Dawn Road, later joining Scorpions on 1974’s “Fly to the Rainbow” and cementing its most classic lineup. He played on the band’s era-defining albums, including 1979’s “Lovedrive,” 1982’s “Blackout,” 1984’s “Love at First Sting” and the live albums “Tokyo Tapes” and “World Wide Live.”
Speaking about Scorpions’ influence at the end of the Cold War, he told an interviewer, “We still had the Iron Curtain in Europe when I was a boy. Living in Germany at this time there was always this great threat of a third World War between Russia and America. I was always afraid of the Russians coming over the border in Eastern Germany. … Then, playing in Moscow at the Peace Festival back in the ‘90s, we were invited to the Kremlin by Mr. [Mikahil] Gorbachev, Russia’s President at that time, and that was one of those great moments — to think we had achieved something like this just from doing what we love to do.”
He left the group after 1990’s “Crazy World,” later touring with former Scorpions bandmate Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock.
Buchholz is survived by wife wife, Hella, and three children.
The allegations are in addition to two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand is due to go on trial for those charges in London in June.
No date is set for when he will face a jury over the additional allegations.
PARK CITY, Utah — Welcome to a special Sundance Daily edition of the Wide Shot, a newsletter about the business of entertainment. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Good morning! It’s another crisp, beautiful day in Park City: Saturday, Jan. 24. It will be mostly cloudy today with a high (if you can call it that) of 28 degrees.
Are you following along at our page collecting all our videos? Everything from celebs visiting our photo studios, quick reactions outside of screenings, carpet arrivals and more — you can find it right here.
Today’s newsletter brings you some scene reports (what exactly went down at Charli XCX’s world premiere of “The Moment”?) and recommendations for what to watch today, plus Samantha’s thoughts on crowdfunding and its potential in the indie sphere.
A listening party for the world’s most expensive album
From left, Raekwon, GZA, RZA, Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan perform in 2025 in Los Angeles.
(Brian Feinzimer / For The Times)
On Thursday night I watched Cappadonna take viewers through the Wu-Tang Clan’s humble Staten Island origins in “The Disciple,” the documentary partially about the creation of the group’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” the most expensive album ever sold.
Friday afternoon I was in a swanky house a couple of miles away from downtown Park City listening to a portion of the only copy in the world as Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins wrote in a notebook a few feet away. All attendees obviously had phones locked away, while others sampled an incredibly fancy charcuterie spread.
Billed as an album listening party, we got to hear the 13-minute sampler that was originally played for potential buyers and two other tracks, including the title cut of the 31-song album, totaling about 20 minutes.
It matched what was described in Joanna Natasegara’s documentary: a return to the early Wu-Tang Clan sound. The rhymes were layered with strings, sirens, gunshots and a horn part reminiscent of Jr. Walker & the All Stars’ “Shotgun,” the latter of which got some of the biggest reaction from the pretty stoic crowd, except for the people who kept talking over the rare listen. — Vanessa Franko
Waiting on line for Charli XCX
Fans in brat wear wait at the Eccles Theatre for the world premiere of Charli XCX’s “The Moment.”
(David Viramontes)
Charli xcx’s “The Moment” was easily the buzziest film going into Sundance 2026 — at least to those of us still reliving the highs of “brat” summer. That 2024 album unleashed a pure, unadulterated strain of Charli’s particular brand of celebrity into the world and became a ubiquitous pop culture sensation.
When the movie “inspired by an original idea by Charli xcx” was announced, many were curious what her first major foray into film would look like. Well, the moment has come.
An hour before the premiere, moviegoers crowded in front of the Eccles, many of them in “brat green” beanies, some homemade and some that looked like official swag, waited for a chance to see Charli. A group of fans were seen walking down the line of attendees trying to buy tickets, with someone offering me $150 for mine. (I was never going to miss the opportunity to see the film at the premiere.)
Inside, some of Charli’s tracks played before the film. During their intro, director Aidan Zamiri said, “This movie is about the end of an era,” setting the tone for the film. What followed was part fever trip through the machine of the music industry and part satirical mockumentary that felt both real and exaggerated.
“She’s mocking herself,” The Times’ Suzy Exposito said immediately following the screening, “but she’s also at her commercial peak.”
Charli has three films playing at this year’s fest. That feels like both an exclamation point on her pop-music conquest and a signal of the next evolution of her career, which includes the soundtrack for the upcoming “Wuthering Heights” adaptation.
One audience member wanted to know, how does she find the time? Charli couldn’t have responded more perfectly, quoting her own lyrics: “365. Don’t eat, don’t sleep, just put it on repeat.” — David Viramontes
The movies worth standing in line for
“Extra Geography” (Megaplex Redstone, 1:10 p.m.)
Galaxie Clear and Marnie Duggan in the movie “Extra Geography.”
(Clementine Schneiderman / Sundance Institute)
I haven’t seen a good new teen movie in ages. My era had oodles, most of which still hold up. But Generation Alpha deserves their own potential classics.
Maybe one will be Molly Manners’ “Extra Geography” which combines the friendship psychodrama of “Heavenly Creatures” and the aspirational-chic of “Clueless” into a comedy about two competitive and codependent girls, Minna and Flic (fantastic first-time actors Galaxie Clear and Marnie Duggan), who act in lockstep from joining the school play or forcing themselves to both fall in love with their awkward geography teacher, Miss Delavigne (Alice Englert).
Minna is rich and pretty; Flic, her follower, is a scholarship student who mimics everything her idol does a millisecond later. Life is destined to divide them and maybe that’s fine. (It’s at least brutally hilarous.)
But what elevates the movie is Manners’ recognization that Minna also wishes they could stay best friends forever. Don’t hate her because she’s beautiful. — Amy Nicholson
“The Invite” (Eccles Theatre, 6 p.m.)
Olivia Wilde, left, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in the movie “The Invite.”
(Sundance Institute)
Part of the excitement of festival premieres is when a movie arrives with a certain what-is-this? air of mystery about it. So it is with the first feature directed by Olivia Wilde since her ill-fated “Don’t Worry Darling” from 2022.
The new film feels like a purposeful reset, reportedly based on Spanish filmmaker Cesc Gay’s “The People Upstairs” with a screenplay adapted by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. The movie features Wilde and Seth Rogen as a couple who invite their neighbors (played by Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) over for dinner, setting in motion an emotional evening of revelations as long-simmering tensions come to a boil.
Said to be shot chronologically on 35mm film with a cast of four unpredictable performers, this could go off in any number of directions, which makes it feel like a must-see. — Mark Olsen
Will crowdfunding keep growing in the film business?
Indie filmmakers have had a tough last few years.
They’ve faced a softer market at festivals like Sundance, where all-night bidding wars or at least the hope of a distribution deal after a premiere have become few and far between.
That, in turn, has made it tough to get financing to make more films, as private equity has shied away.
As the industry shifts, that has left a gap for alternative sources of funding, including crowdfunding.
I spoke with Taylor K. Shaw-Omachonu, film lead at Kickstarter, to learn more about why some filmmakers are turning to crowdfunding and the company’s expansion into distribution.
Though crowdfunding campaigns are typically ways for filmmakers to raise money for their projects, it can also allow them to build an audience and prove there’s a market for their work — a key aspect, particularly for indie films.
“It’s an opportunity to say, ‘I know who my audience is, and I have a direct relationship with them,’” Shaw-Omachonu said. “And that is the future.”
Kickstarter itself has also branched out beyond funding. The company now has a partnership with streaming service Tubi, where users can watch dozens of films that got funding through Kickstarter. There’s no guarantee that all Kickstarter-backed films will get a distribution deal with Tubi, but it’s a potential option, Shaw-Omachonu said.
Crowdfunding isn’t the silver bullet to the financing woes of the film business. But it can make sense for some films, like 2024’s “The Apprentice,” which struggled to find a distributor after legal threats from then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Producers turned to Kickstarter to raise money for the film’s marketing and release. (The film was distributed by Briarcliff Entertainment.)
“What I always say to filmmakers is work the traditional system, if you can get millions of dollars that way, amazing,” Shaw-Omachonu said. “Also leveraging, connecting with your audience, running a Kickstarter campaign — it is a tool that you can put in your toolbox of how you get your slate made.” — Samantha Masunaga
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Samantha Masunaga delivers the latest news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
